A MONSTER MAULING
Defense picks off Harrington five times, offense rolls in rout

The Chicago Bears looked like the playoff contender they claim to be, scoring touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams to blow out the Detroit Lions 38-6 in Sunday's home-opener.

After struggling to move the ball a week earlier, the Bears' Thomas Jones led Chicago with 139 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Kyle Orton completed 14 of 21 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, and did not throw an interception.

Detroit's Joey Harrington threw a career-high five INTs, with Nate Vasher picking him off twice and Mike Brown returning one 41 yards for a touchdown. Brian Urlacher added two sacks.

`We did what we said we were going to do,'' Urlacher said. ``We got in his (Harrington's) face, and we got some pressure on him and got him to throw the ball sometimes when he didn't want to. And we got some takeaways -- what we got to do every week.''

Bobby Wade returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and Brown added that interception return in the final minute of the half as Chicago took a 31-6 lead to the locker room.

Detroit's defense - which sacked Brett Favre four times last week and held Green Bay to its lowest point total in 13 years - had trouble breaking through the Bears' line, and Chicago's offense sprang to life after being held to 166 yards in a season-opening 9-7 loss at Washington.

Harrington, meanwhile, looked lost. He struggled against the pressure, completing 19 of 37 passes for 196 yards. Detroit managed just 12 rushing yards in the first half - and 29 in all on 18 carries.

Harrington's troubles started on the opening possession, with an interception by right tackle Ian Scott. The Bears drove 43 yards for a touchdown, with Jones running it in from the 3.

The Lions immediately responded.

After a 41-yard kickoff return by Eddie Drummond, Harrington found an open Roy Williams - who beat Charles Tillman - on the right for a 51-yard touchdown that made it 7-6.

The Bears blocked the extra-point attempt by Remy Hamilton, signed Friday to the practice squad and activated before the game with Jason Hanson nursing a hamstring injury. That ended Hanson's streak of 209 games - the third longest among active NFL players.

The rout was on from there.

Chicago's Doug Brien kicked a 48-yard field goal on the ensuing drive to increase Chicago's lead to 10-6. It grew to 17-6 early in the second quarter when Wade, inactive last week, returned a punt 73 yards up the left side.

Harrington, who had thrown four interceptions in a game twice, continued to struggle.

Vasher intercepted a fade in the left corner of the end zone intended for Williams, and that led to an 80-yard scoring drive by the Bears. Orton zipped a 28-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad, who held on despite being sandwiched by cornerback Fernando Bryant and safety Kenoy Kennedy, to make it 24-6 with 1:14 left in the half.

Muhammad was fine, but Bryant left with a shoulder injury.

On the next play from scrimmage, Brown intercepted Harrington as he was hit and ran it in from 41 yards.

Besides Bryant, the Lions lost defensive end James Hall (groin), backup free safety Vernon Fox (left elbow) and tight end Marcus Pollard (concussion), who took a helmet-to-helment hit from Brown in the fourth quarter.

Brown said he's ``prepared'' for a fine by the NFL, but wanted to make it clear the collision of helmets was accidental.

``I saw the ball in his hands,'' Brown said. ``I was going for the ball first. It happened so quick out there.''

Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye and backup linebacker Joe Odom left with ankle injuries in the first half.

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